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Gran shook her head in disbelief. “I want to know everything.”

  The door to Blythe’s house opened. Blythe stood there with her hands on her hips. “Did I just hear Stanley say Leonard is alive?”

  “He is!” Stanley danced from paw to paw. “He’s alive and well!”

  Blythe beckoned us in. “You must tell us what happened. I’ll get some refreshments ready. Come in!”

  Gran and Blythe perched on the end of their seats as I told them about Leonard, his two hearts and the antidote. Stanley kept dancing about and adding his comments too.

  “This is excellent news,” Blythe declared. “We must celebrate!” She clicked her fingers and a bottle of champagne appeared. Three glasses followed it and lined themselves up in front of the bottle. Another click of Blythe’s fingers caused the bottle to pour its contents into the waiting glasses.

  As a full glass landed in my hand, I said to Gran, “It’s not even ten o’clock yet, but what the heck!”

  Gran took a delicate sip of the fizzy drink. She said, “You must ask Luca to celebrate with us too. I’m presuming he helped you with your investigation.”

  A chill trickled down my spine. “No. I never asked him for his help. Why are you saying that?”

  Gran lowered her glass. “I saw him yesterday before I went home. He said you’d asked for his help and he was on his way to Brimstone Mountains.”

  My hand began to shake and I put the glass down. “I didn’t ask for his help. He lied to you. Where is he now?”

  Blythe said, “I haven’t seen him since yesterday. I didn’t know he’d gone to the mountains.” She looked towards the window. “Your murder investigation has been concluded. He should know that. He should be back by now.”

  Stanley’s eyes widened. His voice was barely above a whisper as he looked at me and said, “The snow-spirit. She’s still out there. What if she’s got Luca?”

  I was on my feet and out of Blythe’s house in seconds. Stanley was right behind me. We jumped onto my broomstick and headed back to Brimstone Mountains.

  I heard Stanley muttering to himself, “Luca, please be alright. Please. Please. Please, be alright.”

  Chapter 30

  Some instinct told me to go to the frozen waterfall where we’d found Boris previously. My instinct was right.

  Stanley cried out, “Luca! Cassia, it’s Luca! He’s stuck in the waterfall! He’s not moving.”

  My hands shook as I navigated us over to the waterfall. Luca’s face was as pale as the ice that surrounded him. His eyes were closed and his arms hung at his side. He looked … I couldn’t finish the dreadful thought.

  We landed next to the waterfall and stared silently at our frozen friend. An icy draught rushed against my cheek and I turned my head to see the malevolent snow-spirit smiling at me.

  She moved quietly over the snow, her white dress billowing from side to side as if it were alive. She hissed, “Cassia Winter. What a pleasant surprise. I see you’ve found your friend. I didn’t know he was your friend until he asked me if I’d seen you.” She let out a slow, evil laugh. “I wouldn’t normally attack a guardian of Brimstone, but I couldn’t let this one go, not when I knew he was your friend. And a special friend at that.” She moved directly in front of me and her smile increased. The blue veins on her face were more obvious this close up. “You’re too late. He’s dead. He’s been dead for hours. Poor Cassia Winter.”

  Stanley shouted, “No! He can’t be dead! Cassia, do something!”

  The snow-spirit slowly wagged her finger at Stanley. “Cassia’s done enough already. She shouldn’t have rescued that little polar bear. He was mine. She shouldn’t have interfered with my victim. She’s only got herself to blame.”

  I was barely registering the nasty words coming from the creature. It was like time had come to a stop. The words of the spell to get rid of her came clearly into my mind. I gave the snow-sprit a defiant look and recited the words of the spell while aiming my hands at her. I don’t know how I managed to remain so calm considering Luca was suspended lifelessly in ice right next to me. I must have been in shock.

  The snow-sprit heard my words and the smile died on her face. The blue veins on her face began to fade. There was a loud cracking sound. It reminded me of the noise ice makes when it breaks all at once. Sheer terror descended on the snow-spirit’s face and an eerie wail escaped from her mouth.

  The cracking noise intensified and all of a sudden, the snow-spirit exploded into hundreds of tiny shards. A stiff breeze came out of nowhere and carried the splinters high into the sky until we couldn’t see them anymore.

  Stanley watched them go. He said, “What happened? Did you kill her?”

  “I don’t know. I hope not. I didn’t want that to happen.” I stared as the last splinter disappeared from view. “She’s gone and won’t be coming back here.” My attention went to Luca. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t think. Luca couldn’t be dead. He just couldn’t.

  Stanley nudged his head against my legs. “Cassia, do something. Anything. You have to.”

  I blinked away my tears. “I don’t think I can do anything, not if he’s …” I left the word unspoken.

  Stanley’s voice rose in a panic. “But you’re a witch! You have magic in your fingers! You have to make him better!”

  I moved towards Luca. “Stanley, I can’t bring the dead back to life.” The words felt terrible on my tongue.

  “How do you know? You haven’t tried! Please, Cassia, do something. At least get him out of that waterfall.”

  That was something I could do. I performed the same spell on Luca that I’d used on Boris. I freed him from the ice and then moved him through the air and over to the snow bank at the side of the waterfall.

  Stanley placed his head against Luca’s cheek. “He’s so cold, so very cold. Cassia, make him warm. Make him well.”

  I knew in my heart there was nothing I could do, but I wasn’t ready to admit that yet. I knelt at Luca’s side and sent warming magic into my fingers. I added warm air to dry the ice on Luca too. I moved my hands back and forth over Luca’s still body.

  Luca didn’t move. Stanley began to sob. Tears flowed down my cheeks and landed on Luca’s body. This was all my fault. That snow-spirit attacked Luca because he was my friend. Gran and Blythe had been right with their warnings about our friendship. Those thoughts didn’t help me one bit as I looked down at my wonderful friend. What was I going to do without him?

  I put my head in my hands and cried.

  Stanley nudged his head against my leg. He whispered, “Cassia, look. There’s something behind you.”

  I lifted my head. If that snow-spirit was coming back, I would give her what-for. I looked over my shoulder and saw a cloud of yellow and green butterflies flying towards us.

  Stanley said sadly, “They must be coming to take Luca’s body away. I can’t bear to look.” He turned his head away.

  The butterflies landed gently on Luca’s body. They covered every part of him except his face. Then one by one, they stopped moving and became still. Something peculiar happened next. The butterflies moved gently up and then slowly back down. They repeated the movement over and over.

  I tapped Stanley on his back. “Stanley, look at the butterflies! They’re moving like a heartbeat. Look at them!”

  Stanley turned his head back. His little eyes widened. “Why are they doing that?”

  A tiny spark of hope alighted in my heart. “I think they’re trying to save him.”

  We watched as the butterfly heartbeat became stronger. Colour slowly infused Luca’s face and the hope in my heart increased.

  Stanley said, “It’s working! Look! Luca’s eyes are opening!”

  Luca’s eyes slowly opened and he fixed his gaze on me. He muttered, “Hey, you. I’ve been looking for you.” He looked down at his butterfly blanket. “Erm, what’s going on?”

  The butterflies stopped their heartbeat motion, lifted off Luca’s body and turned to face me.

  I was crying too
much with relief to get my words of thanks out, so I flapped my hands at the butterflies and gave them a wobbly smile. They rustled their wings and then flew away.

  Stanley waved his paw and yelled, “Thank you! You saved Luca’s life! Thank you! Thank you!”

  Luca sat up straight. “They saved my life? Was I dead?” He gave me a confused look.

  Stanley said to him, “You were. That nasty snow-spirit put you in the waterfall. You were dead. Properly dead. Cassia was crying her eyes out. So was I.” He jumped onto Luca’s lap. “But you’re okay now. I’m glad you’re not dead.”

  Luca stroked Stanley’s back. “The snow-spirit? Do you mean that woman in the white dress?” He frowned and looked at me. “I remember now. I asked her about you. She laughed and said she could help me. She was breathing really heavily when I spoke to her and her breath came out in a cloud.” He shivered. “I can’t remember what happened next. Cassia, did I die?”

  I nodded and wiped my tears away. “You’re okay now. How do you feel?”

  He grinned. “A bit of an idiot. I should have known she was an evil creature. I should have protected myself. I was too busy looking for you.”

  “Why?” I asked.

  “Ah, well, the thing is,” he began, “I wanted to talk to you about that thing you did to get my memories back.” He cleared his throat and looked down at Stanley. “I spoke to another witch about that and she said only true love’s tears could cause that to happen.” His cheeks were red as he continued to avoid my look.

  I felt my cheeks warming up. “Oh? Did she say that? Really? Oh.”

  Luca cleared his throat again and peeped up at me. “The thing is, Cassia, I wanted to know if that was true. Do you love me?”

  It was my turn to look away from him. “We should be getting back to Brimstone town. Gran and Blythe will be worried about us.”

  “Cassia, look at me,” Luca said. “Please.”

  I turned my face to his.

  He continued, “The thing is, Cassia Winter, I hope you do love me because I love you. So very much.”

  “Pardon?” I said.

  “Pardon?” Stanley repeated.

  Luca smiled. “I love you very much. I always have since the first day you came to Brimstone with your mum. In fact, I told your mum that I was going to marry you. I was only five at the time, but I knew you were the one for me.”

  “What did Mum say to that?”

  “She nodded and said she hoped we would get married.”

  “Really?” I asked.

  “Really.” He nodded.

  I smiled at Luca, and he smiled back.

  Then common sense hit me on the head like a hammer. Luca had died because of me and my work. Okay, he was alive again, but he could easily become another victim.

  I got to my feet and brushed snow off my bottom. I said brusquely, “Luca, I don’t have time for any of this nonsense. I would appreciate it if you never spoke about this again. There can never be any love between us. Not ever. I don’t even think we should be friends.” I made the mistake of looking at him as I said those final words. The hurt on his face was unbearable.

  He muttered, “I don’t understand.”

  I strode towards my broomstick. “Stanley, we have to get back to town. Bye, Luca.”

  Stanley cried out, “No! I’m not having any of this. You two belong together and I won’t let anyone get in the way of that! I’m putting my paw down.”

  I looked back at Stanley and he did actually put his paw down firmly on Luca’s chest.

  Luca said, “I’m more confused than ever. Stanley, tell me what’s going on.”

  I fiddled with the end of my broomstick while Stanley told Luca about Mum and Dad and what Blythe and Gran had done, and why. He explained why Blythe and Gran didn’t want Luca and me to be more than friends.

  Luca nodded. “I see.” He held Stanley in his arms as he got to his feet and came over to my side. “Cassia, I didn’t know you were a coward.”

  I dropped my broomstick. “I’m not! Take that back.”

  “Nope. You’re scared of something that might happen in the future. Yes, I might get hurt during the course of an investigation. So what? You might get hurt too.”

  “I might get hurt,” Stanley added helpfully. “I’ve already been hurt, but I survived.”

  Luca placed one hand against my cheek. “Your parents had a terrible time, but they had each other for a while. And they produced you. I don’t agree with what Blythe and Esther did to your dad; they didn’t have to send him so far away. I certainly don’t agree with them telling you how to run your life. Do you?”

  “Not really.” I gave him a small smile. I liked the feeling of his warm hand against my cheek.

  He took his hand from my cheek and placed a finger over the freckle on the end of my nose. “I think we should give our relationship a go. So what if we have to face dangers and possible death? We can handle that, can’t we?”

  I moved his finger off my nose. “I suppose so.”

  “There’s no ‘suppose so’ about it.” Luca looked at Stanley. “What do you say, my friend?”

  “I think you two would make a lovely couple. I’ve always known that.” Stanley gave Luca a slow shake of his head. “But you’ll have to look after yourself more. You can’t expect Cassia to keep coming to your rescue. She’s got her own work to deal with. Try not to die again.”

  Luca chuckled. “I’ll try.” He held his hand out to me. “Well? What do you say?”

  I looked into his lovely blue eyes and a feeling of warmth flowed through me from my head to my toes. I gave him a nod. “I say yes. But who’s going to tell Blythe and Gran?”

  He grabbed my hand and said, “We’ll tell them together. Come on.”

  “I was hoping you’d tell them and I’d hide in a cupboard somewhere,” I said.

  Luca laughed. “We’re a couple now. We do things together.”

  Stanley lifted his furry chin and declared, “I’ll tell them.”

  I smiled at my two best friends. A small niggle of worry settled in my stomach. Was I doing the right thing? Or was I making a terrible mistake? I forced the worry out of my head. I wanted to feel happy and carefree. For a while.

  About the author

  I live in a county called Yorkshire, England with my family. This area is known for its paranormal activity and haunted dwellings. I love all things supernatural and think there is more to this life than can be seen with our eyes.

  I hope you enjoyed this story. If you did, I’d love it if you could post a small review. Reviews really help authors to sell more books. Thank you!

  This story has been checked for errors by myself and my team. If you spot anything we’ve missed, you can let us know by emailing us at: [email protected]

  You can visit my website at: www.aprilfernsby.com

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  Many thanks to Paula for her proofreading work: Paula Proofreader

  Warm wishes

  April Fernsby

  The Brimstone Witch Mysteries:

  Book 1 - Murder Of A Werewolf

  Book 2 - As Dead As A Vampire

  Book 3 - The Centaur’s Last Breath

  Book 4 - The Sleeping Goblin

  Book 5 - The Silent Banshee

  Book 6 - The Murdered Mermaid

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  The End Of The Yeti

  A Brimstone Witch Mystery

  (Book 7)

  By

  April Fernsby

  www.aprilfernsby.com

  Copyright 2017 by April Fernsby

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, electronically or mechanically without permission from the author.
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